


A Small Antique Bookstore

by lumiere_is_light



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ballet, Books, F/M, Family Drama, Piano, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, literature references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23297311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumiere_is_light/pseuds/lumiere_is_light
Summary: Loki and Morgana are seventeen in their last year of high school, they meet in an antique book store, sparks fly, they become friends and quickly something more. Loki is an aspiring pianist, Morgana an aspiring ballerina. They go on adventures together and read a lot, while also navigating difficult family dynamics and personal issues.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Morgana (Merlin)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. The Armchair Corner

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything :,( There are also references to literature, I don't at all take ownership.  
> To be clear, I'm only taking Morgana from the Merlin universe, if her fam is introduced they'll be original characters. And her surname will be Le Fay not Pendragon, purely because Le Fay has a nicer flow :). Loki and Morgana were always my otp, they just always made sense to me.

In a small antique bookstore, in one of the cramped aisles, Loki scours the shelves. It was a pass time for him, digging through shelves to find new and rare reading material. His seventeen-year-old mind yearned for more every time he finished a book. Hence why he was back in this bookstore for the second time this week.

Loki settled on a seemingly ancient copy of “Le Petit Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the cover so worn that the title was barely discernible. He smiled at himself and walked out of the small aisle. He lifted his left wrist to check his watch: 16:23. Lovely. He had time before he was expected home, meaning he could sit and read for a while undisturbed. A blessing really, there was no such possibility at home, between his father routinely expressing disappointment in his choice of prospective profession (Loki wanted to be a pianist) and his brother’s boorish behaviour, there was no peace at home. 

This antique bookstore had a corner of couches and armchairs where customers could read, and Loki made a beeline for that corner. As he rounded the last shelf, he noticed someone was sat in his usual armchair. A girl more specifically, curled up in the huge armchair with a relatively worn copy of “Equus” by Peter Shaffer. Loki sighed at the loss of his usual spot and sat himself down in the armchair right across from her.

Loki shed his heavy leather jacket and dark green scarf, setting them on the floor next to his bag. He quickly got comfortable and opened the seemingly ancient book. He took one more look at the girl across him before beginning to read.

Loki got through a whole of two chapters before his attention returned to the girl across him. He noticed her clothes first. She wore white tights, a black long-sleeved shirt, soft looking grey shorts that looked slightly too big on her and brown ankle boots. Odd, he thought. It was autumn and rather cold outside. He noticed her hair next. He had raven hair, like himself. It was long and curled, Loki likened it to black ink spreading over water. Truly beautiful. Then his eyes fell upon her face. High cheekbones and thick, dark eyebrows framed her perfectly. She was a rare beauty to be sure.  
Loki was brought out of his thoughts when she turned the page of the play and made a face. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and her eyes were set deep in concentration. He let out a small chuckle before he could stop himself. Her head snapped up and they made eye contact.

“What?” she asked in a slightly harsh tone. Loki smiled sheepishly, slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and straightened his back. Her eyes were something to behold, a pale blue beautifully encased in a dark ring around her iris. 

“Oh nothing, you just made a face when you turned the page” he explained, grinning a little, “is it the part where Alan orgasms while riding on Nugget’s back?” he asked, relishing in her small moment of shock. It was brief, as she let out a small laugh.

“Not quite, but that was quite the shock to my system” she said barely containing her laugh, “Alan just blinded the six horses, my god it is gross” she then folded the corner of the page and closed the book. Loki kept staring and forced himself to open his mouth. 

“What’s your name?” he asked quietly. The girl looked at him and flashed a small smile.

“Morgana” she answered, “what’s yours?” She held her smile.

“Loki” he said extending his right hand. Morgana took it and squeezed it lightly. “Morgana, as in knights of the round table Morgana?” At that, she rolled her eyes and let out another small laugh.

“Ah yes, my dad thought it would be funny since our surname is Le Fay, therefore I am Morgana Le Fay” she said passively, but still with a hint of playfulness. She then pointed at the book in Loki’s hand. “Is that the original version or translated?” Loki felt confused for a moment, then looked down at the book in his hand and the question clicked.

“Original version, French literature is one of my favourite things to read, and I read a lot.” He said smiling down at the book. Morgana nodded and began to uncurl from the armchair. Loki looked at her white tights again, curiosity getting the better of him. “I have to ask, what are the white tights for? I can’t imagine they keep you warm.”

“I do ballet and you’re right they don’t keep me very warm” she explained, plucking a black knit sweater from the floor as she spoke. She pulled it over her head and then looked curiously at Loki, “I swear I’ve seen you before, do you go to Nine Realms Upper School?” she asked tilting her head slightly. Loki’s jaw dropped; she was absolutely right.  
“Yes, that’s it! Heavens I never would have made the connection” he exclaimed. Morgana was lightly laughing; her smile was truly radiant. She then picked up her phone and checked the time. She quickly jumped up with a slightly panicked look.

“I was lovely to meet you Loki, but I have to run. If I’m late for rehearsals again my teacher will lynch me,” she said picking up her navy-blue trench coat and black bag. “Maybe I’ll see you at school or here again?”

“Likely here, I only ever go into school for my classes” Loki said with a mischievous grin. Morgana nodded, closing her coat and hiking her bag over her shoulder.

“Well then I hope to see you again” she said smiling brightly as she began making her way out of the cosy corner. Loki looked after her as she walked away.

“So do I.” He said, louder than he intended. Morgana turned and flashed him one last smile before disappearing behind the bookshelf. Loki turned back to his book but found that he could not concentrate. His mind was elsewhere, mainly the dark-haired ballerina that had just left.  
Loki looked at his watch again: 16:54. He sighed and debated on staying until the bookstore closed or going home and dealing with his family. Thinking about yet another unpleasant family dinner, Odin questioning his passions with an undertone of disappointment, Thor plainly insulting everything about him (whether intentional or not, it still stung), Balder maintaining neutral ground and his mother (his only real support system), occasionally shooting him a sympathetic smile. Loki didn’t fancy being in such close proximity to his family, he always felt so different. 

While his relationship with his mother was close at best, the only member of his family he really connected with was Odin’s estranged daughter Hela, who was ten years Loki’s senior. Odin didn’t want three sons to be in contact with her, but Loki had managed to have a close sibling relationship with her, albeit from afar. 

While Loki loathed these family dinners, he wanted to play some piano. Meeting Morgana had struck a chord and the ivory keys of the family grand piano at home called to him.

His mind made up, Loki shrugged his jacket back on and picked up his bag, “Le Petit Prince” still in his hand. He made his way out of the armchair corner and around the many bookshelves towards the counter. He paid for this seemingly ancient book to add to his collection and walked out into the cold of London.


	2. Ballet, Piano and Books Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 2, which is the first of two parts, second part won't be far behind  
> enjoy :)

Around a week after meeting Morgana in the antique bookstore, Loki sat in his bedroom going through sheet music he had yet to play. His thoughts had been preoccupied with Morgana this past week. He had not seen her since. Likely they had just missed each other in the hallways at school. Loki hoped he would see her again sooner, but he had no such luck. Instead he was stuck interacting with his family, which quickly became tedious, was his least favourite pastime. So, he was holed up in his room, reading sheet music. 

Loki was reading though “Waltz in E Minor” by Chopin when he heard the front door slam shut and loud voices began to fill the house. Upon focussing on the voices, Loki recognized them as Thor and his friends, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral and Sif. Loki let out a groan. The last thing he needed was Thor and his friends watching while he attempted to play a new piece. At least with Balder he could count on some constructive criticism.

It was Friday afternoon, meaning that Thor and his friends would be staying put for a while. Loki looked at the corner of his room where all his books were stacked up. One or two more couldn’t hurt. He gathered all the sheet music he had been studying and neatly stored them back in their folder. He set the folder on his desk and moved to the mirror. Loki wore a black turtleneck, with navy blue and dark green tartan trousers, secured with a brown belt. Loki raised his eyebrows, it will have to do, he thought to himself.

Loki pulled on his black ankle boots, dusted off his trousers and put his headphones into his phone, setting it on his bed ready to go. He picked up his heavy brown leather jacket from his coat rack and pulled it on. He then grabbed his silver signet ring and deeply aged Cartier watch, both inherited, among other things, from his dearly departed maternal grandfather. The signet ring was decorated with a detailed snake and the watch was the classic Cartier shape with black aged leather. He cherished them both dearly. Loki wore the signet ring on his left little finger and a simpler silver band on his right middle finger.

He took one last look in the mirror, deciding that his almost shoulder length hair needed some control. He grabbed a hair tie and put his curled black hair into a small bun. He picked up his phone and grabbed his keys and scarf and made his way out of his bedroom.

After just one step out of the room, the sound of Thor and his friends increased so much Loki very nearly flinched. Loki quickly recovered and quickly made his way downstairs. One glance at his brother and his friends made him want to move even faster. Loki took quick and large strides towards the front hall hoping to go unnoticed.

“Brother!” Thor called from the living room couch. Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes and poked his head through the double door entrance. “Where are you off to now? Going to stick your nose in another boring book?” Thor almost yelled, garnering a howl of laughter from his friends. At that Loki couldn’t stop the eye roll.

“More likely off to buy more old man’s clothing” Fandral followed up, earning yet another howl of laughter from the group. Loki sighed and did his best not to retaliate, it rarely went in his favour. He entered the front hall and realised that Balder had just come home.

“Thor and the idiots four have parked themselves in the living room, I hope you can tolerate the sound of mindless hyenas” Loki said with a snarky tone. Balder inclined his head towards the living room and upon hearing the loud voices that had taken up residence in the next room, he very nearly growled under his breath.

“Fucksake. And you’re leaving me alone with them? Mum and dad won’t be home for hours!” Balder exclaimed, a hint of desperation in his voice. Loki chuckled and made for the door. “Don’t you laugh, it’s not funny! I have work to do, I’ll never get it done with them here!”

“Hence why I’m leaving. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Loki said as he went through the front door. He began his walk to the bookstore, pressing shuffle on his playlist and enjoying the wind in his face.

When Loki arrived at the bookstore, Loki immediately picked up a copy of “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett. The translated version, not original French, sadly it wasn’t there. He also found “l’etranger” by Albert Camus on the next shelf. Loki smiled at himself and held the two books close to his chest. He shuffled to the next shelf, English Literature.

One particular book stood out to him. A bright red cover on the top shelf. Loki reached up and grabbed it. “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. Adding it to his pile he made his way to the armchair corner. He found it devoid of anyone and almost felt disappointed. He sighed and sat himself in his usual chair and set two of the books next to his feet, choosing to begin reading “Dracula”.

Loki dusted off the cover and opened the bright red book. He then heard some footsteps coming from the front of the store. He inclined his head and saw the little elderly lady who owned the store. Her name was Andrea, she was 82 and Loki had come to really like her and her him. Seeing as he visited the store frequently for almost a year, it only made sense. Andrea disappeared into one of the aisles and behind her walked Morgana.

She was holding large hard covered book in one hand and her navy trench coat in the other. She wore black sheer tights, a mid thigh length black slip-on dress, a royal blue turtleneck and a thick white knit sweater. She wore the same brown boots and her hair was up in a ponytail. Andrea came out with a book that Loki couldn’t quite recognise and handed it to a very excited Morgana. She smiled and thanked Andrea as she was handed the book.

\- - -

Morgana had been on a mission this Friday afternoon. Having spent the whole morning at rehearsals for the Nutcracker. With December and Christmas fast approaching, rehearsing the performance became more and more frequent. While Morgana loved ballet, it was beginning to drive her insane.

Morgana walked to the antique bookstore, where she had met Loki just a short week before. She had been distracted throughout her rehearsals that evening, her mind lingering on the boy with striking emerald eyes. For lack of a better word she thought he was beautiful, he had an ethereal quality to him. Today, she was looking for two specific books, a large hard covered book on Edgar Degas’ ballerina paintings and “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy in its original Russian.

When she arrived at the bookstore she had been greeted by Andrea and immediately they set out to find the two books. To Morgana’s delight, Andrea found the two books mighty fast. While already holding the Degas book in one hand, Morgana excitedly thanked Andrea. Andrea smiled and went back to the front of the store. Morgana smiled brightly at her books and walked to the armchair corner. She looked up and saw the young man who had occupied her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References:  
> \- Waltz in E Minor by Chopin  
> \- Dracula by Bram Stoker  
> \- L'etranger by Albert Camus  
> \- Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett  
> \- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
> 
> part two won't take very long :) thanks for reading


	3. Ballet, Piano and Books Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very dialogue heavy, hope you enjoy :)

“Well hello” Morgana said sitting herself in the armchair across from Loki. He smiled at her.

“Hello, fancy seeing you here” he said, his smile growing wider. “I was hoping to find you here at some point” Morgana raised a cheeky eyebrow.

“What a coincidence, I was hoping for the same” she said setting her books down. “I hope to get to know you.”

“You flatter me, but on that subject, I want to get to know you as well” he said leaning forward. “Were you on time for your rehearsals last week?” He asked. Morgana let out a small laugh and leaned back in her chair.

“I was just on time, had I left ten seconds later I would have been in trouble” she explained, “I’m the lead this season so I’m usually expected to be on time.”

“The lead? Very impressive. In which ballet?” Loki asked.

“The Nutcracker” Morgana said, “fitting I think since Christmas is just around the corner.”

“So, you’re playing Clara then?” Loki asked. Morgana’s eyebrows shot up.

“You know your ballet. Yes, I’ll be playing Clara” Morgana smiled brightly “this has been a dream of mine since I was five” Loki smiled at that, he knew a lot about dreams. “Do you anything other than school?” Loki let out a small chuckle.

“Yes, I’m rather good on the piano. I’m hoping to make a career out of it.” Loki said.

“Oh, I love piano, one of my favourite instruments. How long have you been playing?” Morgana asked.

“My mother tells me that I’ve been playing since I was able to lift myself onto the piano stool, but I started taking lessons when I was around six, much to the displeasure of my father” Loki explained.

“Displeasure? Why’s that?” Morgana asked, her elbows leaning on her knees.

“Well other than some running, I don’t do any sports, I happily let piano take up all of my time outside school, so I had no time for sports. He didn’t like that at all, being the type A distant father he is” Loki said dismissively “distant to myself and his estranged daughter that is, he is nothing but loving and proud of my brothers.”

“That sounds like a lovely home situation.” Morgana remarked sarcastically.

“Oh, it’s terrific” Loki said equally sarcastically “and so piano is my outlet.”

“I should like to hear you play.” Morgana said leaning forward on her elbows.

“Is that a request?” Loki said smiling.

“Possibly.” Morgana replied smirking.

“In that case, I would like to see you dance!” Loki exclaimed.

“Alright, deal” Morgana said clapping her hands softly.

\--

They kept on talking. They talked about everything and nothing. Their families came up, their mutual love for books, the kind of music they listened to (Morgana was a Queen superfan and Loki loved ABBA), where they had travelled to and places they wanted to travel to, their birthdays (Loki’s was December 21st and Morgana’s was February 9th), their favourite childhood memory, what subjects they did at school, the lest was endless. There was never an awkward silence. At one point, Andrea came in beginning to usher them out.

“Come on you two, I’m closing up.” She said politely. She escorted the two seventeen-year olds to the front of the store and bid them goodbye happily. Loki and Morgana stood in the night sky, having not realised it was so dark when they were inside. They began walking down the street, both heading the same way. They kept talking. At a certain point Loki had to turn left and Morgana had to continue straight.

“Here give me your phone” Morgana suddenly said.

“Why?” Loki said somewhat defensively.

“So I can give you my phone number silly, I was serious when I said I wanted to hear you play piano.” She said smiling. Loki pulled out his phone rather sheepishly and handed it to her. Morgana in turn handed Loki her phone.

“There, send me something when you are home, so I know you’re not dead” Morgana said as they traded phones again.

“I promise” Loki said as he pocketed his phone again. “I’m headed this way; I’ll make sure to send you a message.”

“Perfect! We’ll see each other soon” Morgana said as she began to walk away. 

“We shall.” Loki said with one last smile. Morgana smiled brightly, waved one last time and they parted ways.

\--

When they each got to their homes, they felt somewhat disappointed that they couldn’t spend more time together. They had no idea just how special this new found friendship would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was enjoyable.


	4. Snippets of Closeness, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snippets of the developing friendship between Morgana and Loki leading up to Morgana's ballet.  
> Hope its enjoyable xx

November 6th  
Loki sat at his desk, reading the last page of a biology chapter while also tying the laces of his running shoes. It was Wednesday afternoon and Loki had promised Morgana that they would go running together since she had a night off from rehearsals. Loki had been busy with his studies since he’d gotten home three hours ago, so running with Morgana was a welcome distraction.

Loki moved to his other shoes and continued reading. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when his phone began to ring right next to his head. He sat up and grabbed his phone with slightly shaky hands. He looked at the name and quickly answered.

“Before you yell at me, my shoes are on and I’m about to leave the house.” Loki said closing his textbook and standing up.

“I was not going to yell,” Morgana said on the other end. “but I am nearing the crossing so please hurry up. It’s absolutely Baltic out here.” Loki laughed a little.

“Sit tight, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” He said pulling on an old Oxford University sweatshirt.

“Alright, see you soon.” Morgana said happily before hanging up the phone. Loki put his phone in the pocket of his black leggings and quickly put his hair up in a small bun. He pulled the turtleneck he wore under his sweatshirt up his neck. He finally grabbed his think black gloves and bolted out of his bedroom.

“As Loki went down the stairs, he pulled on his gloves on. He walked down the hall and entered the kitchen where his mother was drinking tea and reading a magazine about gardening. Frigga looked up and smiled sweetly at her son.

“Where are you going darling?” She asked putting her magazine down. Loki walked around the table and placed a small kiss on Frigga’s cheek.

“Just going for a run. I’ll be back in an hour.” Loki said putting his hand on his mother’s shoulder. Frigga looked Loki up and down before lightly grabbing his forearm.

“Are you dressed warmly enough?” She asked softly. Loki smiled and nodded. Frigga looked sceptical for a moment before smiling again. “Well enjoy darling.”

At that, Loki quickly made his way to the front door and left the house. He almost staggered back at the wave of coldness that hit him, Morgana was right, Baltic. Loki rubbed his hands together for a short moment and then proceeded to start jogging down the street towards the crossing. After about five minutes he saw Morgana on the corner of the crossing.

She wore black leggings, a black turtleneck, an oversized white sweatshirt and white socks pulled up to her calves. Her hair was braided into pig tails that ran down her back. As if she sensed Loki’s approached, she turned her head and waved. Loki smiled and stopped in front of her, as she went in to hug him. 

“Thank god you are finally here. I was beginning to freeze.” Morgana said hugging Loki tightly. Loki rubbed her back a little to make her a bit warmer.

“Let’s get going then before we both lose feeling in our extremities.” Loki said as they parted. Morgana chuckled lightly and they took off in a slow run. They ran straight ahead until they reached the entrance of a large park that many runners frequented. 

They continued running in a comfortable silence for some time. They enjoyed feeling the cold wind on their faces and watching the trees pass by them in a blur. It was an enjoyable distraction from Morgana’s hectic schedule and Loki’s tense household and endless studying. 

In the short time that Loki and Morgana had been friends, they became very close very quickly. They enjoyed each other’s company, supported each other in their passions and the various issues that they had. It was a friendship that they had both wanted for a long time. 

“How did rehearsals go yesterday?” Loki asked as they neared a clearing.

“It was tough, we went through the final dance about four times before we got it right and after that we had to do a costume fitting. Which was chaos with all the other girls around, but my goodness the dress is beautiful!” Morgana exclaimed turning her head towards Loki and smiling brightly. “Dress rehearsals will start soon as well, so it’s going to get even more intense.”  
“You’ve been rehearsing so much; this is the last stretch for you. I’m sure you will do a perfect run.” Loki said smiling brightly. 

“Thank you. Let’s have a rest.” She said slowing down to a walk. Loki slowed as well, inhaling the cold air deeply as he walked. “Have you told your parents about applying to the Royal Academy of Music yet?” At that Loki inhaled sharply and scrunched up his face. “Oh, not well I take it?”

“Christ, I don’t think I’ve ever had amore awkward dinner in my life. Not only did my father very openly express his disappointment at my choice of school, he just flat out insulted me. Thor was no help, bringing up his business and rugby accomplishments yet again. My mother and Balder were quietly supportive, which while nice did not help the situation.” Loki ran a hand over his face. “It just hurts now. The smallest bit of approval from dad would mean the world.” Morgana frowned at that. She didn’t like how much this particular topic bothered Loki.

“Well at least you told them about it, and you can probably get a scholarship which sort of takes away the dependency.” Morgana said cautiously. Loki sighed.

“I know that, but…” Loki trailed off and Morgana knew what he meant to say. He needed more than just disappointed acceptance from his family. 

“They’ll come around eventually, I’m sure of it.” Morgana said smiling brightly. Her joy was infections and Loki couldn’t help but smile as well. “Come on, lets sprint back to the crossing, I bet I’m faster than you.” Loki raised his eyebrows and let out a small laugh. 

“Oh, you’re on Le Fay.” He said starting to speed up. Morgana wasted no time and broke out into a full sprint. Loki quickly sped up, running after the girl with long dark hair. Loki eventually caught up with her and they laughed as they tried to beat each other. 

They ran at full speed down the street as they exited the park. Loki had an advantage being taller and having longer legs, but Morgana was smaller, mightier. She made a final push and just beat Loki to the crossing. They stopped dead in their tracks completely out of breath. Loki bent over, putting his hands on his knees breathing deeply. Morgana clapped her hand on his back.”

“Ha! I told you… I’m faster!” She exclaimed breathlessly. Loki smiled and extended his hand; Morgana playfully slapped it and did a few victory spins. Loki stood up straight and Morgana kept jumping up and down with joy. 

\----------

November 17th  
Loki sat at the grand piano in his home, practicing like he did most weekends. With his applications to prestigious music schools, he needed all the practice he could get. Today he was learning to play “Comptine d’un autre été, l’aprés-midi” from the film Amélie Poulain.

The house was mostly quiet, every family member mostly keeping to themselves. Loki appreciated this peace more than anything when he was learning a new piece. Loki liked to take his time, so having a quiet house was necessary. Loki practiced and practiced and practiced until he felt his fingertips go numb. 

Loki stopped mid song. He needed someone other than himself to hear how he was playing. His family were not exactly helpful in this case. So, he picked up his phone and video called Morgana. It rang for a few seconds before her face appeared on his screen.

“Hey hey, what’s up?” She asked looking at the camera.

“I need you to listen to me play, are you busy?” He asked setting his phone next to his sheet music.

“No, I can listen. I’m just stretching before I do some drills.” Morgana said setting the phone down in front of her. Loki smiled when he saw her toes peaking in the frame. “Alright go, I’m all ears.” She finally said with a big grin. 

Loki took a deep breath and began to play. In this moment, he lost himself entirely, his fingers dancing over the ivory keys seamlessly. He felt right, forgetting all of the present issues and negativity. He felt free and light. This is what he was meant for. Loki played like there was no tomorrow, not missing a single note. He loved this instrument.

He neared the end of the song, the pace slowing down and then halting. Loki looked down at his hands and inhaled deeply. He suddenly remembered that Morgana was on the phone. He looked up at the phone, meeting her eyes on the screen. 

“So?” He asked inclining his head.

“Loki! You’re amazing! This has to be the best you’ve ever played!” Morgana exclaimed. She smiled so brightly that Loki’s phone lit up. He blushed and smiled equally brightly. 

“Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.” Loki said, his cheeks completely flushed. Of all the people in his life, he realised then and there, that her opinion mattered the most. Morgana laughed excitedly.

“You know you make a very funny face when you play. Like a stoned cat.” She said almost crying with laughter. Loki rolled his eyes and flipped her off as she started to die laughing on the other end of the call. 

\----------

November 25th  
Morgana came out of her rehearsals that evening thoroughly exhausted and on the verge of tears. They had run through the whole ballet twice, meaning it was around four hours of intense ballet and an hour of drills on top of that. Her whole body was unbelievably sore and all she wanted was to pass out in her bed. 

She took a shaky inhale, allowing the cold night air to fill her lungs. Trying not to cry out of exhaustion was proving very hard in that moment. Morgana sniffled a little and started walking down the street towards the tube. Her house was only fifteen minutes away, so she kept repeating that in her head. 

When Morgana was sat waiting for the train, she pulled out her phone to distract herself. A few emails from her teachers, some notifications from Instagram, a whole conversation on the family text chain and a text from Loki.

“Was your rehearsal okay? I watched the video you sent, and I have questions xx”

Morgana let out a small chuckle and rubbed her eyes as a few stray tears threatened to fall. Getting a message from Loki always made her feel better. She started typing.

M [22:28]: It was good and bad. We went through the whole ballet twice, successfully, but I’m so tired I could cry. 

As she pressed send, the train arrived. She boarded the near empty train and immediately sat down again as her shaky legs could barely hold her up. Her phone buzzed not long after that. 

L [22:32]: Twice?!! That’s what four hours?

M [22:33]: Yes and another hourish of drills before that.

L [22:36]: Christ in heaven, are you home yet?

M [22:38]: No, I just got on the train.  
M [22:38]: I’m going to cry, I’m so exhausted.

L [22:39]: Get home as quick as you can and fall into bed. I’ll come over tomorrow morning before class.

M [22:40]: You’re an angel, I’ll be home in five minutes, so I’ll say goodnight now because I’m passing out the second I hit my bed.

L [22:41]: Alright, sleep well darling xx

M [22:42]: Thank you xx

Morgana read back the last text from Loki. Darling. She smiled. That was new.

**Author's Note:**

> Referenced works (that I recommend reading)  
> \- Le Petit Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupery  
> \- Equus by Peter Shaffer
> 
> hope you enjoyed that, idk when chapter 2 will be up :)


End file.
